Strangled: Twisted Tales of Familiar Faces

by Stephen Wertzbaugher

Abduction. Curse. Murder.Rosalinde Grimm believed she had finally found peace and relinquished a family curse— escaping with her beloved and their expecting twins.

But the nightmare found her again.

Devastated by her beloved’s murder and the abduction of her unborn children, Rosalinde descends into madness, awakening an obsession to resurrect a generation’s old family curse linked to the legend of Rapunzel.

Vowing vengeance on the Heralds and her captor, Rosalinde returns to her home town ten years later, hunting down those responsible for the downturn of her life, one horrifying act at a time. But as she brings each member to justice, she faces the ultimate embrace the curse to its fullest or risk losing herself to its darkness.

Strangled is a haunting retelling of the classic Rapunzel. This grisly tale is part of the Twisted Tales of Familiar Faces collection, featuring classic beloved characters twisted into terrifying nightmares.

149 pages, Paperback

Published March 12, 2025

Reviews

[Christine Fancher]

This was not one of my favorites in the series, but it had some good things about it for sure. This is a retelling of Rapunzel where the FMC is cursed with demons and must keep her hair shorn off to hold them at bay from taking over.
I think the writing style just wasn't connecting with me, and some things were a bit confusing. I had to keep trying to remember characters because it was going from past to present to past and present all through the book. this may not have been an issue if I had read through it faster since it's a short story.
I did really enjoy the way Rapunzel's hair was explained and the way she heard the rhyme in her head when the demons were clamoring to get out.
there are a lot of deaths and some gore.

[Karleigh]

I sadly did not enjoy this one as much as the other book by this author in the Twisted Tales. I personally have issues with pregnancy and birth so the first bit of the book didn't sit well with me. I found the fact that Rapunzel's hair holds demons and is her weapon and how she uses it to get her revenge but other then that I just did not connect with this book.

[Maureen]

I feel like I had no idea what Rapunzel was actually about (thanks Disney). This story is insane! The imagery is fantastic and I loved the characters and the plot. It's a pretty wild ride, so hold onto your seat as you read this!

[Kenneth Lingenfelter]

Twins taken from her at birth and sent to a mental facility. Rosalinde's love Eric was killed. She gets out and seeks revenge on those that wronged her. Very interesting tale of Rapunzel that is much different than the Disney version.

[Marlys]

I found this story to be confusing.

[Riann]

I loved every minute of this dark and crazy ride of a book! This read is definitely not for the faint of heart. A highly original and fiendish take on Rapunzel.

[Steve]

Rapunzel. I have to say never seen it, may have heard about it when I was younger but not like this though. Vengeance has never been sweeter. Recommended read.

[Clive Willcocks]

Another in the Twisted Tales series. I did enjoy this one, although not as much as some of the others. Well worth a read. Highly recommended.

[Dennis]

What a fantastic take on the Rapunzel fairy tale. Dark and horrific and best of all...so different than the cartoon version! Really loved it!

[Terry M]

A very good, twisted, dark tale of Rapunzel. The horrors Rosalinde suffers, and the way she seeks revenge is excellent. Loved it.

[Stefanie Silvestri]

This is a dark retelling of Rapunzel. Hold onto your seat as you read this story because it’s a pretty wild ride. She is out to seek vengeance on the people that have wronged her. I did like this scary and horrific tale just not as much as the others in this series.